


The Price of Love

by litm



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Captain America (Movies), Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Gen, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Torture, Violence, hopefully
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-24
Updated: 2014-07-24
Packaged: 2018-02-10 06:17:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2014254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/litm/pseuds/litm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“A monster will always be just that, Barnes.  You cannot escape the darkness forever... and the poor dears, they shall soon wither away and die..."</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Price of Love

**Author's Note:**

> Erm, so I’m not quite sure where this came from, but yeah. I posted this early in the morning on [tumblr](http://afieldofcosmos.tumblr.com/post/92712721160/youre-lying-his-voice-hoarse-and-barely-a), and now here I am posting it here. There _will_ be a continuation.
> 
> I’m not sure how many chapters I might be able to write from this, but this is sort of like a test run for me. If only because I want to see if I can truly dedicate myself to a long chaptered fic with everything I’ve got going on. (And also I’ve got a really angsty/action-y/romance-y AU in the works, so there’s that. With the way I’ve got things outlined, it’s probably going to be a really long fic. A slow burner, too, because those are always fun. :’D)

"One million in a week or the girl's gonna go."  
"I'd kill you in a second," he laughed, "Yeah, I know."  
– _The Price of Love_ by White Lies

* * *

 

“You’re lying,” his voice hoarse and barely a whisper sliced through the silence, shoulders tensed.

The man before him made no move to speak; in the most casual of maneuvers, he pulled open his suit jacket and reached inside of it to retrieve something instead.   _Photographs_.  He stepped forward and offered them up to him.  Bucky stared him down, silently daring him to try something.  He would be dead before he could reach for the revolver he knew was hidden somewhere on his person.

“I must say,” the man- no, the _enemy_  drawled minutes later when Bucky made no move to accept his offering, “your daughter has a sweet smile, angelic face… must have inherited most of her looks from her mother, mm?  The lucky girl.”

One shaky hand lifted then, if only to snatch the photographs from hand.  The sharp intake of breath was telling, the agent’s lips curling upwards into a wry smile as he watched the former assassin’s body tremble _deliciously_.

“Impossible.” Bucky murmured as he flipped through photo after photo after photo of the life he’d been leading post-rescue.  Several photos showcased him with friends out and about, of him engaged in battle against various opponents, but the photos that caused him pause were the ones of him and his family.  He paled as soon as he caught sight of his daughter’s smiling face beaming up at him, his wife’s flushed face and bright eyes beckoning him closer with the cheekiest of grins.

“Nothing’s impossible.”

The man didn’t bother to offer up an explanation as to why he was there, but Bucky was no fool.

He swallowed hard, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end, his mind racing with bone-chilling thoughts.  This man was here to threaten him, he knew.  Bastard seemed to have done his homework too, which was alarming in itself as Bucky had gone to great lengths to make sure he and his girls were hidden from those who wished them harm.  Whoever this man was, he was a major threat to him and his loved ones and needed to be dealt with accordingly.

Almost as if he knew what was coming, the enemy shook his head and clicked his tongue in disappointment.  “No, no.  Attacking me won’t solve your problems, my good man.  It’ll only make things worse,” he licked his lips, “for _them._ ”

Crumpling the photos in hand, he all but growled, “Where are they?”

The man chuckled in sick humor.  “Let’s play a game then, shall we?”

"I swear to you... if you don't tell me where they are right now-"

A sassy finger was put up to hush the frustrated assassin, looking for all the world like a stern parent scolding their naughty child. "I'm afraid that's not how this works, Mister Barnes. You see, I am not authorized to just give you the information you seek. Where's the fun in that? No, you must work for it."

Bucky gritted his teeth.  “Why?”

"This is the price you must pay for running from your masters, your betters.  And for what? To play house with wife and child.  To pretend you are something good, someone pure.  Such potential – a weapon of your caliber wasted in favor of such trivial things, the most unremarkable of people.  But it would do you some good to remember who you are.” The man bemoaned quietly, his gaze holding steady on Bucky’s as he gauged his reaction.

“A monster will always be just that, Barnes.  You cannot escape the darkness forever... and the poor dears, they shall soon wither away and die..."

In an instant, Bucky had the man in a chokehold, cybernetic arm wrapped tightly around his neck.   _"I'll kill you!"_ he snarled.  The man’s answering bright smile left his skin crawling.  Instinctively, he tightened his grip as a warning.

"Ah, but that's the best part, my boy! If you kill me now, how will you ever find out where your wife and daughter are being kept?  I can reassure you.  Hydra has been quite hospitable to the two.  No need to worry just yet.  Things have only just begun!"


End file.
